Record Your Story Workshop Guidelines

RECORD YOUR STORY WORKSHOP GUIDELINES

GRAPEVINE magazine and website are primarily made up of stories from members of the Fellowship.

Your stories make it possible for Grapevine to carry the message to everyone interested in alcoholism through the website, magazine and other items and to reflect the experience, strength and hope of members and friends on topics related to unity, recovery and service.

The very idea of AAGV centers on communication with and

among the Fellowship.Each story or issue has the potential to

travel far beyond the flagship magazines:

AAGV, Inc. publishes:

Print, digital and audio magazines

Books and ebooks

Website

Audio Project

Grapevine Story Archive - every story since the first issue in 1944

Grapevine started collecting up to 7-minute stories from the Fellowship in the form of audio recordings. Become a part of this living history

by submitting your audio story to Grapevine.

The recorded stories will go through Grapevine's editorial process just like the stories published in the magazine and online. If your story is accepted, Grapevine will publish it online and/or transcribe it for the magazine or website. For those interested in participating, we offer some information below to help guide you in this process.

WORKSHOP INFORMATION

You don't need prior audio recording experience - just a little willingness and the desire to share. There are many ways to conduct a Record Your Story Workshop, the following are a few basic tips to get started:

PLANNING AHEAD

-Invite Record Your Story Workshop participants in advance through an announcement at a meeting, a flyer or an email, evite, phone call or text.

-Provide a date and a time frame – one and a half to two hours is enough for a small gathering.

-Choose a quiet location with ample seating

-Think about inviting someone to share who has had their audio story accepted by GV or visit aagrapevine.org/GV70 to get inspiration from 7 free audio stories.

RECORDING

A) If you plan to use the Audio Project voicemail, be sure to use a phone with a good speaker function.Here are the steps:

•As you begin, remember that you have up to 7 minutes to tell your story.

•Call the voicemail box at (559) 726-1216. (Long distance charges will apply.)

•When you access the system, there are three options:

Press 1 to record your story.

Press 2 to listen to some helpful hints.

Press 3 to give Grapevine permission to use your story.

•In order to begin telling your story, press 1.

•Tell us your name and geographical location.

•After you give us that information, begin your story as you would in a meeting: i.e., My name is Jane and I'm an alcoholic.

•After you record your story, make sure to press the # button.

•Before hanging up, you must press #3 and follow the instructions in order to give Grapevine permission to use your story. Remember to give your phone number.

After giving us permission to use your story, you must press the # button again.

B) If you plan to record digitally, have a digital recorder, smartphone or other digital device available for participants’ use. WAV and MP3 files will be accepted. It’s always a good idea to do a trial run and have a back-up.

TOPICS

A single topic can be used or participants may choose their own topic. Some topic suggestions are listed below,or feel free to choose something else:

•An anecdote from your first 90 days

•My first sponsor

•Getting to Step One

•Going back to school sober

•Talking to family about your sobriety

•My first job sober

•My old friends, my new friends

•My favorite service commitment

•My favorite Step—and why

•Fun times in Sobriety (pick one)

•What got me into AA?

•How I deal with fear today

•What my sponsor taught me (something I'll never forget)

•How I found my Higher Power

•My favorite part of the Big Book

•Going on your first date in sobriety

•People, places and things

•A 9th Step amend that changed my life

•My sober morning routine

•How I pray

•My meditation

THE DAY OF THE WORKSHOP

-Choose a leader to guide the group through the process

-Have participants introduce themselves

-Determine how sharing order will take place: round robin or volunteer.

-It’s nice to plan little breaks, too.

- Share these tips to include the following things as the group begins to record the stories:

• Introduce yourself as though you were in a meeting.
• Begin by giving your name and provide your phone number at the end. This way, Grapevine will have a way to contact you if your story is chosen.
• Focus on a specific experience or something that can be handled in 5-7 minutes.
• Think about the arc of a story: a beginning, middle and an end.

•Tell your location. Are you in Georgia? California? Canada? This helps to set the scene for the listener. Details help.

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING and SUBMITTING YOUR STORY

When pressing the # sign when you use the Audio Project voicemail system your story is automatically submitted to Grapevine

When Submitting WAV and MP3 files send the recorded stories to:

or

by emailing them to

You can always submit your written story or photographs, illustrations or cartoons.

Scan and send the stories or images to: gv

Or mail to: Grapevine Editorial Department

475 Riverside Drive, Room 1264

New York, NY 11015

1